1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a copier, printer, facsimile apparatus or similar image forming apparatus and more particularly to a cleaning device for an image forming apparatus.
2. Description of the Background Art
A cleaning device for cleaning a desired member has customarily been used in machines and apparatus in various fields. An image forming apparatus, for example, includes a cleaning device for cleaning the surface of an image carrier, a cleaning device for cleaning the surface of a charge roller that charges the image carrier, and a cleaning device for cleaning the surface of an image transfer belt.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 7-140763, for example, discloses a cleaning device using a brush roller that contacts the surface of a member to be cleaned. The brush roller is rotated by a drive source. A brush on the brush roller and the surface of the member to be cleaned each are moved at a particular linear velocity, so that the brush scrapes off impurities deposited on the member.
However, the conventional brush roller type of cleaning device needs the drive source for driving the brush roller. Moreover, this type of cleaning device needs means for limiting the amount of bite of the brush into the desired member in order to control the permanent deformation of the brush. This increases the cost of the cleaning device and makes the cleaning device sophisticated. It is to be noted that the amount of bite of the brush refers to the maximum amount of deformation of the brush roller to occur in the radiation direction when the brush is pressed against the surface of the desired member. It has been customary to control the yield of the brush by confining the amount of bite in an adequate range.
Technologies relating to the present invention are also disclosed in, e.g., Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication Nos. 8-22173, 10-206696, 10-282854 and 11-219048.